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Reports Over 550 Letters Sent To Congress Through Advocacy
Website

NATCA says
that pilots and aviation stakeholders from Ohio and other locations
around the country affected by the possibility of losing local air
traffic control radar services have sent over 550 letters to their
members of Congress through a special advocacy website. While not
branded, the site presents information about the proposed
realignment from the standpoint of those who feel the consolidation
will affect pilot safety. The letters reportedly ask Congress to
compel the FAA to adopt a transparent, inclusive process before the
agency makes any further moves toward changing its facilities.

Specifically, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers
Association (NATCA), the pilots themselves say they want to be
included in an issue that has broad aviation safety
ramifications.

"Radar's our eyes when the weather goes down. It's our way back
to the airport to be able to fly and land safely," said pilot John
Defrance, commenting to WYFX-TV in Youngstown, Ohio, on the
importance of having a say in any plan that would affect how radar
services are provided.

NATCA officials spent much of the last three weeks traveling
around Ohio to brief pilots and other local aviation community
officials on what they believe is the FAA's plan in the absence of
being included in the process as well. In recent days, NATCA took
its briefings to Lansing, MI, and Grand Rapids, MI, for meetings
with pilots and other stakeholders who expressed their frustration
at being shut out of the FAA decision-making process.

"We stand
with pilots, airport directors and all local aviation stakeholders
who are opposed to the FAA's moves without having a say in the
matter through a collaborative, transparent process," NATCA
Executive Vice President Trish Gilbert said. "We all just want to
be heard, to have a voice. For pilots and controllers, safety is
everything. Any moves toward changing how we provide safety
services today must be done carefully and with full stakeholder
involvement."

The realignment issue involves the FAA closing a local air
traffic control radar function, known as TRACON (Terminal Radar
Approach Control), which handles the climb and approach phases of
flight within 40 miles of an airport. NATCA has focused on airports
in the Dayton, Toledo, Mansfield, Akron, Canton and Youngstown
areas of Ohio the past two weeks as that is where the FAA intends
to close TRACONs at local airports and move them either to Columbus
or Cleveland.

NATCA says each facility and sectored airspace is unique.
Therefore, the union contends the only way to determine if the
realignment of an air traffic control facility is necessary and
appropriate is through the development of a comprehensive plan for
each proposed realignment. Controllers, pilots, users, airport
directors and all stakeholders must be included throughout the
process from inception to implementation. The benefits of the
realignment must also be clearly defined before the inception of
any plan, and agreed to by all stakeholders. Additionally,
improving safety, efficiency and services must be the driving force
for the realignment, not cost savings, according to NATCA.